1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to devices and methods for releasably securing and retaining flat objects to other objects and, more particularly, it relates to a novel gripping device which is a combined securement and aesthetic-enhancement device and which effects, in a novel way, both securement of a gift card and the like to the outside of a gift package and ornamentation of a gift package.
2. Description of Prior Art
The formal exchange of gifts is a universal and ongoing ritual which is repeated throughout each year on numerous occasions, i.e., birthdays, Christmas, Valentine's Day, weddings, anniversaries, graduation, etc., in virtually every community in virtually every country in the world. Also universal, is the practice of presenting a gift in such a way that the gift is boxed or otherwise packaged. The box or package, or the gift itself, is usually concealed and ornamented by wrapping with paper or tissue which is manufactured for this purpose. Further ornamentation is then often provided by the application of ribbons, bows, adhesively applied stickers and other ornamental objects. Because of the ongoing and widespread use of such gift packaging and ornamentation products, a substantial, multi-national industry has evolved to create and sell such products. Gift wrapping paper and tissue is available in a variety of designs, patterns, textures, and colors. The same can be said for the ribbons, bows, and other forms of ornamentation which are available.
It is notable that, despite the above facts, there remains a fundamental void in the line of products available for gift packaging and ornamentation. Usually, when a gift is given, it is accompanied by a gift card which is typically enclosed in an envelope. The basic fraction of such a card is to convey a written message in an aesthetically pleasing form to the person(s) receiving the accompanying gift. It is desirable to the person(s) giving the card and accompanying gift that the card be perused immediately before the gift package is opened. It is therefore customary for the card to be attached to the gift package. It is often the case that a gift is not immediately opened by the person(s) receiving the gift or in the presence of the person(s) giving the gift. For example, many gifts from various persons may be left under a Christmas tree to be opened later by various persons, or, many gifts from various persons may be placed together at a wedding reception to be later opened by the bride and groom. It is, therefore, a highly desirable dual function of a gift card to both convey a message to the recipient(s) of an accompanying gift package immediately before the gift package is opened, as discussed above, and to simply allow those recipients to know who the gift is from. It follows that it is highly desirable to attach a gift card to a gift package in a secure fashion. This is generally appreciated by persons when they give gifts. The universal solution to the problem of securely attaching a gift card to a gift package is to use cellophane tape or the like. It is remarkable that, despite the existence for many years in the prior art of a variety of practical, elegant, and aesthetically enhancing products for the wrapping and ornamentation of gift packages and despite the commonly occurring and strong need to releasably secure a gift card to a gift package, there does not exist in the prior art a more elegant or aesthetically enhancing and practical means for such securement. Instead, the prior art compels persons giving gifts to typically resort to the use of cellophane tape or the like.
The use of cellophane and other forms of tape to secure a gift card and the like to a gift package suffers from a number of disadvantages:
(a) The tape does nothing to aesthetically enhance the appearance of the gift package. PA1 (b) The tape does, in fact, serve to diminish the aesthetic quality of the appearance of the gift package. PA1 (c) The use of tape often does not allow the gift card to be readily removed from the gift package without causing defacement of the card itself, if the card is not contained in an envelope, or without damaging the envelope in which the card may be placed. This is particularly undesirable when one wishes to save the card and envelope. PA1 (d) The tape does not necessarily securely attach the gift card or the like to a gift package, especially when only one edge of the gift card is taped to the package, thereby allowing the card to flip and twist and become dislodged from the package; and especially when the tape is not applied in such a manner that there is sufficient adhesive contact area between it and either the card or the package. PA1 (e) The tape does not eliminate the need to use or expense of using other forms of ornamentation for a gift package, such as multicolored gift wrap, ribbon, bows, and the like. PA1 (f) The tape does not eliminate the skill and time required to use other forms of ornamentation for a gift package, such as multicolored gift wrap, ribbon, bows, and the like. PA1 (a) to provide a gripping device which can be used to attach a gift card and the like to the outside of a gift package in a novel way which serves as an alternative to the use of cellophane tape and the like for such purposes; PA1 (b) to provide a gripping device capable of the use described in paragraph (a) and which can be inexpensively manufactured and, therefore, be affordable as a disposable item; PA1 (c) to provide a gripping device capable of the use described in paragraph (a) and which can be easily and securely attached to the outside of a gift package; PA1 (d) to provide a gripping device capable of the use described in paragraph (a) and which is designed so as to allow easy insertion of a gift card or like item into the gripping device after attachment of the gripping device to a gift package and which, thereby, securely attaches the gift card to the package and, yet, which allows easy removal of the gift card or the like from the gripping device; PA1 (e) to provide a gripping device capable of the use described in paragraph (a) and which is designed to allow for removal of a gift card and the like without defacing or otherwise damaging the same; PA1 (f) to provide a gripping device capable of the use described in paragraph (a) and which not only attaches a gift card to a gift package, as described above, but also aesthetically enhances and adds significance to a gift package through incorporation onto the gripping device of either a purely ornamental design or a functional design which might, for example, include the message "Happy Birthday" or "Happy Valentine's Day"; PA1 (g) to eliminate the disadvantages of using cellophane tape and the like for securement of gift cards and the like to gift packages. Such disadvantages include: diminishing the aesthetic quality of the gift package, defacement and damaging of gift cards and envelopes when the tape is removed, failure to securely hold gift cards and the like to gift packages when tape is improperly applied or only applied to one edge of such cards and the like, and failure to eliminate the need for and expense of other forms of ornamentation; PA1 (h) to eliminate the need for and accompanying expense of ribbon and bows and other forms of ornamentation for gift packages by providing ornamentation as part of the gripping device itself; PA1 (i) to eliminate much of the time that is required to ornament a gift package using present means, such as ribbon and bows, by providing a gripping device that is capable of the use described in paragraph (a) and that provides a quick means of ornamenting a gift package; PA1 (j) to eliminate much of the skill that is required to ornament a gift package using present means, such as ribbon and bows, by providing a gripping device that is capable of the use described in paragraph (a) and that provides an easy means of ornamenting a gift package; PA1 (k) to provide a novel form of ornamentation to a gift package, whereby the ornamentation is not crushed or otherwise damaged, such as a bow might be, when the gift package is wrapped with mailing paper and shipped or otherwise stacked with other gift packages; PA1 (l) to provide a novel method for attaching gift cards and the like to the outside of gift packages which is superior to present methods.
As an alternative to using cellophane tape or the like, one will sometimes attempt to wedge a gift card or the like between the gift package and ribbon or other decorative string which may be encircled about the package. This generally is not a satisfactory method for securely attaching the card to the package as it is very difficult to apply the ribbon or string tight enough around the package. The result is that the card slips out and becomes separated from the package.
Several types of releasably holding or gripping devices have been proposed for various purposes--for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,983,602 to Barry (1976), U.S. Pat. No. 4,003,538 to Frye (1977), U.S. Pat. No. 4,056,139 to Murt (1977), U.S. Pat. No. 4,253,216 to Brown (1981), U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,376 to Rousseau (1990), U.S. Pat. No. 4,967,453 to MacDonald (1990), U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,268 to Ho (1991), and U.S. Pat. No. 5,184,375 to Hoyt (1993). However, none of these devices is suitable as a way to releasably secure a gift card and the like to a gift package.